Portable drum cleaning machine with jet-drive rotation



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 19, 1965 R. G. CUILLIER PORTABLE DRUM CLEANING MACHINE WITH JET-DRIVE ROTATION Filed April 10, 1964 1955 R. G. CUlLLlER 3,212,511

PORTABLE DRUM CLEANING MACHINE WITH JET-DRIVE ROTATION Filed April 10, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,fl i. '4.

' dfiffi 011.415

INVENTOR. i

CQWM/%W m United States Patent PORTARLE This invention relates generally to machines for cleaning garbage can drums and the like, and more particularly to such a machine in which an inverted drum is spun about a vertical axis by theimpingement of tangential jets of hot cleaning liquid, the cleaning liquid being continuously recycled through a system of solids separation especially adapted to portability of the machine.

The extensive utility of a garbage can cleaning machine, portable on a truck, has been described in US. Pat. 2,951,490, issued on an earlier drum cleaning machine invention of the same inventor.

Public and institutional kitchens of restaurants, hotels,

hospitals, andthe like produce such a large volume of garbage that it cannot be disposed of through sewer lines, and must be collected daily or every few days from a temporary storage in a large number of garbage can drums kept in a location very near the kitchen.

The garbage collectors take the bulk of the garbage but have no way of quickly and efficiently cleaning residual garbage material from both interior and exterior surfaces of the garbage can drums. If these surfaces are not cleaned on a frequent basis, the adhering particles decay, develop powerful odors in the immediate vicinity ';of the kitc hen, and attract insects, and rodents.

The problem of weekly, or even daily, cleaning of these garbage cans has been effectively met by drum cleaning machines transported on large trucks, particularly the drum cleaning machine of the same inventor described in the earlier, above-mentioned patent. However, the

success of the previous invention has created a demand for a machine of still larger capacity, and with performance characteristics even more efficient than those of the 'earlier machine.

It is essential inany portable drum cleaning machine that it transport and heat its own drum cleaning liquid, and that this liquid be circulated without necessarily coming into contact with the hands or other skin surfaces garbage cans cleaned during 'the first stops of the working day. It is an important object of the present inventi-on to provide a drum cleaning machine in which, during the day, separated solids can be removed from the machine periodically, and left in a consolidated batch in one of the garbage cans en route. It is an associated object of the invention to achieve this separation and removal without exposing the operator to contact with the cleaning liquid.

The principle of spinning the inverted drum about a vertical axis during cleaning has proven to be a good one. However, it has proven difficult and time consuming to adjust the spinning table for accommodation of drums of diiferent sizes. It has been found very difficult to persuade different kitchens having different requirements to standardize on a single size of drum, so that the spinning table fastening means could be set for a single diameter and single depth of drum.

It is a second major object of the present invention to achieve spinning of the drum without the employment of a spinning table and means for attaching the drum thereto. In connection with this object, the present invention provides for spinning the drum by-means of jets, without the need for making any adjustments what ever between spinnings of drums of different sizes.

In the past, jets spinning in a portable system had been deemed impractical for several reasons. The volume of cleaning liquid required for spinning the drum is so large that liquid tends to accumulate in the spinning chamber. Also, dislodged solids" likewise tend to accumulate in the spinning chamber and impede spinning of the drum.

Obviously, the spinning jets must be turned off each time the operator opens the cover of the drum spinning chamber, in order to avoid spraying the operator with hot cleaning liquid. Ithas proven to be hard on the pressure pump to keep it continuously pumping against closed valves during the changing of drums, and it has proven impractical to bring the pump to a stop between each change of drums. Furthermore, spinning of different size drums has frequently demanded different volumes of liquid delivery through the jets, so that some valve means for proportioning delivery was desirable. Unfortunately, the cleaning liquid entrains so many solids during the first few minutes of cleaning that any proportioning of valve means tends to become clogged'with them. i

It is, therefore, a further major object of the present invention to provide a combination of solids separation and circulation control means for the cleaning liquid which is rugged, simple, and continues effective despite the continuous accumulation of separated solids.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the present invention are best understood by the following description of one preferred specific embodiment, when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a portable drum cleaning machine constructed according to the present in vention and mounted as an integral unit on the body of the transporting truck;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the drum cleaning machine of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view through one of the reservoirs of the drum cleaning machine of FIGURES l and 2, taken at the vertical plane indicated by the arrows 3-3 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view through the drum cleaning tank of the machine as viewed at the vertical axial plane indicated by the arrows 4-4 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a plan sectional view of the lower portion of the tank of FIGURE 4, as viewed at the horizontal plane indicated by the arrows 5-5 in FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is a simplified schematic view indicating the tangential nature of the jets of cleaning liquid delivered by the drum-spinning nozzles.

In FIGURE 1, the drum cleaning machine is indicated by the numeral 10 and is seen to be constructed as an entire integral body unit which may be mounted on or removed from the chassis of any suitable heavy truck such as the truck 11. Since the drum cleaning machine 10 is entirely self-contained and derives no drive whatever from the truck engine, it may be transferred from one truck body to another as required.

The side elevational view of FIGURE 1 and the plan view of FIGURE 2 show the relative locations of the principal parts of the drum cleaning machine 10. A body 12 is seen to be comprised principally of a forward platform 13, a lower rear platform 14, a transverse partition wall 3 15 separating these two platforms, and front wall 16 and side walls 17 and 18.

A drum spinning tank 20 is mounted in a vertical posi tion on rear platform 14, which is open at the rear and provided with foldable rear steps 21 and 22 for the accommodation of the operator.

Access to the forward platform 13 is readily gained through the side gate 23, a step 24 being provided.

A pair of cleaning liquid reservoirs 25 and 26 are carried side by side on the forward end of a platform 13, and are interconnected with cleaning tank 20 by means of a piping system indicated generally by numeral 27, through which circulation is achieved by a pressure pump 28 and a suction pump 29.

A single gasoline engine 30, mounted over the middle portion of the rear axle 31, drives both pressure pump 28 and suction pump 29.

All major operating controls are concentrated at a location 33, on the rearward side of partition wall 15, adjacent the drum cleaning tank 20. Ordinarily one operator would stand on lower rear platform 14 at the approximate location 32 and operate the drum cleaning machine 10, while the second operator brings up drums to be cleaned and removes those which have undergone a cleaning process.

Cleaning is achieved by hot, high-pressure jets of hot cleaning liquid, which is a water solution or suspension of suitable soaps, detergents, insecticides, deodorizers, fragrance agents and the like. As seen in the sectional view of FIGURE 3, the substantial volume of cleaning liquid 40 is contained within the lower portion of each of the reservoirs 25 and 26. The level of cleaning liquid 40 in each of the reservoirs is indicated by a pair of liquid level indicators 41 and 42, which are readily visible to an operator located at operating location 32; thus, the operator is quickly warned of any extreme rise or fall in the liquid level within either of reservoirs 25 or 26, which might indicate clogging or malfunction of some part of the drum cleaning machine 10.

The cleaning liquid 40 is maintained at a suitable sterilizing and cleaning temperature by several rows of burners 43, to which fuel such as butane gas or the like is delivered from a storage tank 44 formed under the truck 11. Delivery of the fuel may be adjusted by manual valves 45, and, if desired may be controlled automatically by any suitable thermostatic means 46, which controls the flow of fuel to the burners 43 by way of fuel lines 47 and 47a in response to temperatures detected by temperature detecting means 48 and 48a.

Preferably, the bottom 49 of cleaning liquid reservoirs 25 and 26 is convex on the underside to provide the most effective heating, and also to make easier the periodic draining and cleaning of the reservoirs through drain 50 and drain valve 50a, located at the lowest point of bottom 49. However, rapid accumulation of separate solids inside of reservoirs 25 and 26 is prevented by a two stage straining system which will be described hereinafter.

The circulating cleaning liquid is withdrawn from the bottoms of reservoirs 25 and 26 by pressure pump lines 51 and 52 at a rate and in a proportion determined by manual adjustment of reservoir outlet valves 53 and 54, respectively, seen in FIGURE 2. The circulating liquid is returned to the reservoirs 25 and 26 by suction pump lines 55 and 56, as controlled by reservoir inlet valves 57 and 58.

The returning liquid is first discharged into suction discharge basins 61 and 62, which are supported in the tops of reservoirs 25 and 26 so as to drain through open bottoms 63 (see FIGURE 3) and a second stage strainer 64 directly into the stored body of liquid 40.

The suction discharge basins 61 and 62 are covered by liquid tight covers 65 and 66, hinged as at 67, and provided with suitable sealing gaskets 68, and latches 69.

The two second stage strainers 64 may be frequently inspected and cleaned. The operator merely opens covers 65 and 66, lifts out the strainers 64, and after emptying them returns them to the position illustrated in FIGURE 3. Even after some separated solids have accummulated in the strainer 64, it will continue to work for a time since suction discharge basins 61 and 62 can hold a certain volume of suction discharge liquid which is filtering through solids retained in strainers 64.

It will be seen from the plan view of FIGURE 2 that the two pressure pump lines 51 and 52 join into a single line 71 to pressure pump 28, from which the liquid is delivered at high pressure through line 72 to the control location 33. Also, cleaning liquid returning to the reservoir is Withdrawn from the control location 33 by way of line 73, suction pump 29, and line 74, WhlCh feeds both the suction return lines 55 and 56.

The drum cleaning tank 20 is illustrated in detail in FIGURES 4 and 5. It will be seen that it is constructed in the preferred form of a cylindrical tank 80, with its axis 81 vertically disposed.

The open top 82 of tank is closed during operation by means of a cover 83 which is preferably retractable by hinges 84 or the like, handles 85 being provided for the convenience of the operator.

The interior of the tank 80 is divided into a ma or upper portion for the spinning of the drums designated as spinning chamber 85, and a lower section intake basin 86, by means of a transversely positioned first stage strainer 87. Preferably, first stage strainer 87 has somewhat larger openings than second stage strainer 64, and permits the passage of all those particles which are not so large that they cannot be safely passed through suction pump 29.

The plan sectional view of FIGURE 5 reveals that the particular preferred embodiment has its first stage strainer 87 constructed on the form of five sectors, such as 87a, which rest on radial supports 87b.

The position for the drum undergoing cleaning is indicated by the dashed outline 90 and 90a, for large and small drums, respectively. It will be seen that the drums 90 and 90a have been placed inverted inside drum cleaning tank 80, through upper opening 82, and in a position substantially co-axial with the drum spinning chamber 80.

Within the spinning chamber 80, the drum 90 is supported around its lower edge on rollers 91, which are rotatably mounted on radially disposed roller shafts 92, carried on brackets 93 welded on the upper surfaces of the sectors 87a. Although horizontal disposition of the roller shafts 92 is preferred, it will be appreciated that radially disposed shafts canted at an angle with the vertical central axis 81 might also be employed.

The container 90 (or 90a) is caused to spin during cleaning by the impingement on its interior and exterior surfaces with a large number of tangential jets of cleaning liquid under pressure. These jets are delivered by exterior nozzles 101, and interior nozzles 102, which deliver their jetting action tangentially and in a cooperative manner to produce rotation as indicated by the arrows in the schematic view of FIGURE 6.

Exterior jets 101 are supported on and supplied by a system of exterior jet supply pipes 103 disposed around the cylindrical interior wall of tank spinning chamber 80, and supplied with hot cleaning liquid under high pressure delivered from pressure pump line 72 by way of manifold 104, valve 105, and exterior jet supply line 106.

Interior jets 102 are supported about the axis 81 by an axial supply pipe 107 which receives its cleaning liquid from manifold 104 by way of a control valve 108 and an interior jet supply line 109.

The relatively huge volume of cleaning liquid delivered against the drum 90 by exterior jets 101 and interior jets. 102 flows continuously down in suction intake basin 86 through first stage strainer 87 and is rapidly withdrawn therefrom by a suction basin line 110 through a control valve 111, suction line T112 to suction pumpdine73. The drain 115 seen in FIGURES 4 and 1, is; provided; i

5 periodic cleaning of suction intake basin 86. Also, it will be understood that the sectors 87a are preferably readily removable so that they maybe cleaned, and

separated solids lifted off of them.

It will be observed that a considerable amount of separated solids may be accumulated on top ofthe first stage strainer 87, without interfering with the rotation of the continuous operation at any one stop. However, since valves 105 and 108 must be closed every few minutes,

between the washing of each successive drum 90, so that cover 83 maybe lifted and a clean drum removed and a dirty one inserted, a bypass line 121 and a bypass valve 122 are provided for transmitting the cleaning fluid under pressure from manifold 4 directly back to the reservoir through T112 and suction pump line 73.

Also, as .a matter of clean-up convenience, a vacuum cleaning hose, not shown, may be coupled to a vacuum line 123 at coupling location 124 by removing a cap 125. .Vacuum line 126 is then opened, and valves 105, 108,

and 111 are closed so that the flow of cleaning liquid through bypass line 121 produces a suitable cleaning vacuum.

It will be seen from the foregoing description of the preferred specific embodiment of my invention, that the preferred embodiment has all controls, and adequate controls concentrated within arms reach of the operator position 32.

The first stage strainer is deliberately located immediately below the drum spinning chamber 80, and a second stage strainer just above delivery of the recycled cleaning liquid to reservoirs 25 and 26. By this means, the portable cleaning machine is able to consolidate a large volume of adhering solid particles from a large number of garbage containers at one location into a single container, since all the particles are collected by the first and second stage strainers. The operators are thus able to move on to the next location Without accumulating and transporting a mass of solid particles within the drum cleaning machine 10. At the end of the day, a relatively minor percentage of particles may be flushed from the system by means of the drains 50 and 115.

It should also be understood that in FIGURE 5, only four rollers 91 are seen in plan view, although there is in fact a fifth roller employed, since one sector 8711 has been broken away for purposes of illustration.

Although I have illustrated a preferred specific embodiment of my invention, including a preferred arrangement of valves, nozzles, and distribution piping, it will be understood that I do not intend that my invention be considered as restricted solely to the details of the illustrated embodiment. On the contrary, the invention may be practiced by many variations and modifications of said embodiment, including both simplifications and improvements, and I, therefore, desire to include all such modifications, variations, and improvements which fall within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A portable drum cleaning machine which includes:

a substantially cylindrical, vertically disposed, drum cleaning tank having an opening at the top for the insertion of an inverted drum, and a retractable cover means for closing said opening during operation;

a first stage strainer transversely positioned in the lower portion of said tank and separating it into an upper spinning chamber and a lower suction intake basin;

a plurality of drum supporting roller means rotatably mountedon said first stage strainer means, with their axes radially disposed with respect to the axis of said spinning chamber, and adapted to rotatably support grums of difierent diameters in said spinning charna plurality of exterior jet nozzles disposed around the interior walls of said spinning chamber and directed tangentially toward the location of the exterior surface of a drum inserted in said spinning chamber for cleaning, and a plurality of interior jet nozzles disposed along the axis of said spinning chamber and tangentially directed against the interior surface of said drum, said'jet nozzles being disposed to deliver co-operating rotating jets ag-ainst the surfaces of said drum;

a cleaning liquid reservoir for storage and heating of cleaning liquid;

a suction discharge basin supported above s-aid reservoir, and having its bottom in'open communication with said reservoir;

a second stage strainer transversely positioned in said bottom opening of said suction discharge basin; suction pump means for continuously withdrawing cleaning liquid from said suction intake basin and discharging it into said suction discharge basin;

and pressure pump means for continuously withdrawing hot cleaning liquid from said reservoir and delivering it to said jet nozzle means.

2. A portable drum cleaning machine which includes:

a substantially cylindrical, vertically disposed, drum cleaning tank having an opening at the top of the insertion of an inverted drum, and a retractable cover means for closing said opening during operation; I

a first stage strainer transversely positioned in the lower portion of said tank and separating it into an upper spinning chamber and a lower suction intake basin;

a plurality of drum supporting roller means rotatably mounted above said first stage strainer means, with their axes radially disposed with respect to the axis of said spinning chamber, and adapted to rotatably support drums of different diameters in said spinning chamber; plurality of exterior jet nozzles disposed around the interior walls of said spinning chamber and directed tangentially toward the location of the exterior surface of a drum inserted in said spinning chamber for cleaning, and a plurality of interior jet nozzles disposed along the axis of said spinning chamber and tangentially directed against the interior surface of said drum, said jet nozzles being disposed to deliver cooperating rotating jets against the surfaces of said drum;

a cleaning liquid reservoir for storage and heating of cleaning liquid;

a suction discharge basin supported above said reservoir, and having its bottom in open communication with said reservoir;

a second stage strainer transversely positioned in said bottom opening of said suction discharge basin;

suction pump means for continuously withdrawing cleaning liquid from said suction intake basin and discharging it into said suction discharge basin;

pressure pump means for continuously withdrawing hot cleaning liquid from said reservoir and delivering it to a control manifold;

and control valve means for selectively distributing cleaning liquid under pressure from said manifold to said jet nozzle means and to said suction pump means.

3. A portable drum cleaning machine which includes:

a substantially cylindrical, vertically disposed drum cleaning tank having an opening at the top for the insertion of an inverted drum, and a retractable cover means for closing said opening during operation;

a first stage strainer transversely positioned in the lower portion of said tank and separating it into an upper spinning chamber and a lower suction intake basin;

a plurality of drum supporting roller means rotatably mounted above said first stage strainer means, with their axes radially disposed with respect to the axis of said spinning chamber, and adapted to rotat-ably support drums of different diameters in said spinning chamber;

a plurality of exterior jet nozzles disposed around the interior walls of said spinning chamber and directed tangentially toward the location of the exterior surface of a drum inserted in said spinning chamber for cleaning, and a plurality of interior jet nozzles disposed along the axis of said spinning chamber and tangentially directed against the interior surface of said drum, said jet nozzles being disposed to deliver cooperating rotating jets against the surfaces of said drum;

a cleaning liquid reservoir for storageand heating of cleaning liquid;

thermostatically controlled burners under said reservoir for automatically maintaining said cleaning liquid at a cleaning temperature;

a suction discharge basin supported above said reservoir, and having its bottom in open communication with said reservoir;

a second stage strainer transversely positioned in said bottom opening of said suction discharge basin;

suction pump means for continuously Withdrawing cleaning liquid from said suction intake basin and discharging it into said suction discharge basin;

pressure pump means for continuously withdrawing hot cleaning liquid from said reservoir and delivering it to a control manifold;

and control valve means for selectively distributing cleaning liquid under pressure from said manifold to said jet nozzle means and to said suction pump means.

4. A portable drum cleaning machine which includes:

a substantially cylindrical, vertically disposed, drum cleaning tank having an opening at the top for the insertion of an inverted drum, and a retractable cover means for closing said opening during operation;

a strainer transversely positioned in the lower portion of said tank and separating it into an upper spinning chamber and a lower suction intake basin;

a plurality of drum supporting roller means rotatably mounted on said strainer means, with their axes radially disposed with respect to the axis of said spinning chamber, and adapted to rotatably support drums of different diameters in said spinning chamher;

a plurality of exterior jet nozzles disposed around the interior walls of said spinning chamber and directed tangentially toward the location of the exterior surface of a drum inserted in said spinning chamber for cleaning, and a plurality of interior jet nozzles disposed along the axis of said spinning chamber and tangentially directed against the interior surface of said drum, said jet nozzles being disposed to deliver cooperating rotating jets against the surfaces of said drum;

a cleaning liquid reservoir for storage and heating of cleaning liquid;

and pressure pump means for continuously withdrawcleaning liquid from said suction intake basin and recirculating it to said reservoir;

and pressure pump means for continuously withdrawing hot cleaning liquid from said reservoir and delivering it to said jet nozzle means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,105,045 7/14 Shipherd 134-111 1,552,998 9/25 Menge 134-111 1,605,961 11/26 Loew 134-111 1,915,079 6/33 Watt 134-139 2,608,952 9/52 Herbert 134-111 X 2,677,381 5/54 Fisher 134-111 X 2,762,150 9/56 Edds 134-144 X 2,764,171 9/56 Nolte 134-152 X 2,951,490 9/60 Cuillier 134-107 CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner. 

4. A PORTABLE DRUM CLEANING MACHINE WHICH INDCLUDES: A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL VERITCALLY DISPOSED, DRUM CLEANING TANK HAVING AN OPENING AT THE TOP FOR THE INSERTION OF AN INVERTED DRUM, AND A RETRACTABLE COVER MEANS FOR CLOSING SAID OPENING DURING OPERATION; A STRAINER TRANSVERSELY POSITIONED IN THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID TANK AND SEPARATING IT INTO AN UPPER SPINNING CHAMBER AND A LOWER SUCTION INTAKE BASIN; A PLURALITY OF DRUM SUPPORTING ROLLER MEANS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID STRAINER MEANS, WITH THEIR AXES RADIALLY DISPOSED WITH RESPECT TO THE AXIS OF SAID SPINNING CHAMBER, AND ADAPTED TO ROTATABLY SUPPORTING DRUMS OF DIFFERENT DIAMETERS IN SID SPINNING CHAMBER; A PLURALITY OF EXTERIOR JET NOZZLES DISPOSED AROUND THE INTERIOR WALLS OF SAID SPINNING CHAMBER AND DIRECTED TANGENTIALLY TOWARD THE LOCATION OF THE EXTERIOR SURFACE OF A DRUM INSERTED IN SAID SPINNING CHAMBER FOR CLEANING, AND A PLURALITY OF INTERIOR JET NOZZLES DISPOSED ALONG THE AXIS OF SAID SPINNING CHAMBER AND TANGENTIALLY DIRECTED AGAINST THE INTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID DRUM, SAID JET NOZZLES BEING DISPOSED TO DELIVER COOPERATING ROTATING JETS AGAINST THE SURFACES OF SAID DRUM; A CLEANING LIQUID RESERVOIR VOR STORAGE AND HEATING OF CLEANING LIQUID; AND PRESSURE PUMP MEANS FOR CONTINUOUSLY WITHDRAWCLEANING LIQUID FROM SAID SUCTION INTAKE BASIN AND RECIRCULATING IT TO SAID RESERVOIR; AND PRESSURE PUMP MEANS FOR CONTINUOUSLY WITHDRAWING HOT CLEANING LIQUID FROM SAID RESERVOIR AND DELIVERING IT TO SAID JET NOZZLE MEANS. 